Huckleberries gone wireless: Turning tables on the radio: Haugen in the hot seat

Dick Haugen co-hosts a KGA-1510 morning show from 5 to 8 a.m., then hosts his “On the Road with Dick Haugen” from 11 a.m. until noon each weekday. He’s the former news director of KVNI/KXLY-1080. You can read the entire interview at Huckleberries Online today.

D.F. Oliveria: How long have you been in radio?

Dick Haugen: 34 years.

DFO: Why radio?

DH: I originally wanted to be a Washington State Patrol officer, but I was too short. I was 5 foot 10, and at that point in time you needed to be at least 6 foot without a college degree. I had taken the civil service tests in Tacoma. I finished second in my class in the physical and in the top 10 percent in the written. I used to hang out at a radio station in Tacoma when I was a junior in high school. And I liked what they did.

DFO: Where did you start?

DH: My first radio job was in Longview, playing records. I lived in Tacoma and drove to Longview. I made $2 per hour and worked weekends. My car got 8 mpg. I slept in a cot in the back of the station. I cleared about $5 per weekend.

DFO: You were at KVNI for over 16 years. Why didn’t you ever move to Kootenai County?

DH: We live in Liberty Lake. It was exactly halfway between my wife’s work in the Spokane Valley and my work here. I didn’t want her to drive on bad roads all the way to Spokane Valley in the winter.

DFO: Were you surprised when KVNI fired you?

DH: I think “shocked” was more the word. I remember having to go to Spokane for a meeting and then being toasted over there and sitting in my car wondering what the hell just happened. They fired me and made me walk outside around the building. They wouldn’t let me walk through the building. Pretty bizarre.

DFO: Is there any such thing as job security in the broadcast business?

DH: Not unless you own the station.

DFO: What’s the major difference between KVNI and KGA?

DH: I don’t have to fly solo. I have Larry Weir as my co-host. We have a producer who runs controls and phones, and there are other news people gathering information. Now, KVNI has who knows how many people replacing me.

DFO: Let’s play a word-association game:

DH: (Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem) Best mayor in my time. (Commissioner Rick Currie) Honest and caring (after long pause). (Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin) Tremendous guy, loves his city. (Resort/newspaper magnate Duane Hagadone) Cool toys.

DFO: What were you like in high school?

DH: I was shy until I began broadcasting in my junior year, and nobody in the world believes that.

DFO: Tell me about “On the Road with Dick Haugen”?

DH: It’s a show that goes on location to give communities an opportunity to have a public forum. This week I’m in Coeur d’Alene. Next week, I’ll be at Empire Ford in downtown Spokane. I’ll be at the North Idaho and Spokane fairs. It’s a chance to get out of the studio on location to mingle. We’re one of only two talk shows in the Spokane market that takes phone calls – Mark Fuhrman and myself.

DFO: Tell me about a memorable moment during your career with KVNI.

DH: I remember setting up to do a live broadcast for the ribbon cutting of the Coeur d’Alene Resort Plaza. It was just after 5 a.m., and the construction crew was wrapping up. Duane Hagadone was there sweeping up the floor so the chamber of commerce could cut the ribbon.

DFO: Is there anything you miss about not being at KVNI still?

DH: The number one thing by far is doing the Friday night football games with Jeff McLean and the NIC basketball games. I have no idea what I’m going to do Friday nights. But I’m going to go to the games.